A method for manufacturing a group of packaging media

ABSTRACT

A method for manufacturing a group of packaging media includes generating a sequence of unique codes, marking a series of packaging media with said unique codes, wherein said sequence is maintained in said series, and creating two or more sub-series of packaging media from said series by registering a first unique code marked on a first packaging media, entering an ordered number, creating said sub-series based on said ordered number, registering a last unique code, calculating an expected number based on a difference between said first and last unique code, and accepting said sub-series if a difference between said expected number and said ordered number is within a pre-defined tolerance.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to marking of items with unique codes for thepurpose of tracking and tracing the items in the supply chain. Morespecifically the invention relates to the control and manufacture ofpre-coded packaging material, such as labels, cartons, RFID-chips,wrapping cartons on rolls etc.

BACKGROUND ART

Track and Trace systems for tracking and tracing of manufactured itemsis well known in the industry. Counterfeiting affects both themanufacturer and the public. E.g. in the field of pharmaceuticals, fakemedicines may have no effect, or they can have dangerous side effects.

The systems used for preventing counterfeiting are implemented in anumber of different ways.

One group of technology in the field is concerned with how to mark itemsand how to read back the information from the items to avoid copying ofproducts. To avoid copying, the items can be marked with invisiblemarkers, encrypted codes, RFID tags etc. It should be difficult for acounterfeiter to discover and decipher the information marked on theitem, since this would enable the counterfeiter to copy the items andthe marking in a way that would lead a consumer to believe they buy theoriginal product.

Another group of technology is more concerned with how to authenticate,follow, or trace an item from the manufacture to the end customer. Bymarking every single product with a unique code or digital identifier,any product can be checked instantaneously on an individual basis byanyone at any location.

By controlling the supply chain, and especially what happens to theitems when being received and shipped in the distribution points, thepossibility of successful counterfeiting or other fraudulent activitiesis reduced. This is commonly referred to as secure track and trace.

A secure track and trace system is surveying and managing all goodshaving been marked and registered with a unique identifier, and at thesame time controlling all parties allowed to handle the products, allthe way from the manufacture to the end consumer.

Track and trace systems according to background art works in the waythat product items and associated transportation units are marked with aunique identifier. This identifier is then utilized to continuouslyauthenticate the product in the supply chain. If the authenticationprocess has a positive outcome, i.e. the product and code has beendetermined to be genuine, additional information related to the productand the present stage of the supply chain may be recorded and stored forlater retrieval and analysis. The pivotal information that is recordedduring the addition of a new tracking record is the identity of theproduct or transportation unit, the location and the time and alsoinformation about the operator. If available, the devices and method bywhich the product was authenticated, as well as other circumstantial andpertinent information may also be recorded in the tracking record.

This series of tracking records recorded by the track and trace systemwill result in a complete history of the handling of the product in thesupply chain, that might be presented and audited at any time forsecurity or other purposes.

According to prior art the unique codes may be generated and printeddirectly on the item during the manufacturing or packaging process.However, in many instances and for some industrial applications it isimpractical to mark the products as they are manufactured or packed. Forinstance this is the case if generic and “white” products aremanufactured at a central facility and later exported to differentmarkets where the products must be amended to fulfill different localrequirements and regulations and, as a consequence, associated withmarket specific information.

As an alternative marking method, the codes are generated before theproducts are packaged or even before they are manufactured. In fact itis not even necessary to know which products the codes are to be markedon when generating the codes since the codes can be associated with theproducts at a later stage when the exact association is known. This linkbetween the code and the product may be established before, during orafter manufacturing or packaging or at any later stage in the supplychain.

Pre-printed media to be used in the packaging or manufacturing processmay come in a variety of formats, depending on the actual requirementsof the manufacturing and packaging process.

Pre-printed media are often delivered as labels, cartons, etc. on rolls.Typically a roll of pre-printed media will be delivered for themanufacture or packaging of a specific batch, where the packaging mediaformat and the number of packaging media on the roll is adapted to thebatch. One example of such pre-printed media is pre-printed unfoldedcartons delivered on a roll of paper or cardboard, for example 1000pre-printed medicine cartons on a roll, each with a unique code. Theroll may then be cut into into individual carton units and folded aspart of the manufacturing or packaging process.

Another example is a container, or box of 1000 pre-printed cartons, eachwith a unique code that are already cut and put into the box before theyreach the manufacturing or packaging process. They may also be partlyfolded inside the box. Here, the collection of the pre-printed media isnot necessary in the same order as the generated codes in the computersystem, and also are not physically attached or linked to each other aswould be on a roll.

In any case, rolls, boxes and any other format where a specific numberof pre-printed packaging media is delivered as a unit to a manufacturingprocess is in the following defined as a group of packaging media.

The manufacture of labels on rolls will in the following be used todescribe prior art related to pre-printed media. However, otherpre-printed media as discussed above will be equally relevant for thepurpose of this invention. It is important to understand thatpre-printed media is often manufactured in several steps, usually from alarge paper roll, that is printed, sliced and cut in one or moreoperations.

The technical characteristic of preprinted media is that they areinitially manufactured as a continuous strips or lanes of individualitems, such as labels or unfolded cartons. It is also common to arrangethe strip such that the strip across its width has several unitsadjacent to each other. For instance a continuous label strip can havefour instances across the width of the strip. The strips are then cut insuitable lengths, such as a given length or number of individual units.In the case of more labels in the width of the strip these are separatedand divided, typically by some form of cutting process. In this case theone original strip with four labels across the strip width has beentransformed to four strips or lanes with one label across each strip.Each new strip would then normally be ¼ the width of the original strip.

The strips are then cut into suitable lengths and and winded to a rollor coil or a coherent bundle. These rolls and bundles are then shippedto various locations where they will used for production and packagingof products.

The result is that a roll, bundle or coil has a specific, controlled andverified number of units.

The pre-printed packaging material on these rolls are marked withindividual, or unique codes that need to be managed and controlledduring the production of the pre-printed packaging material and laterwhen they are applied during the manufacturing process.

In order to make this process more efficient, the marked unique codes onthe rolls are delivered and made with codes according to a coding systemthat are arranged in a logical sequence. For instance a roll or bundlecan contain 5000 labels with numbers that logically ranges from 12001 to17000. This means that the first label is numbered 120001 and the lastlabel is numbered 17000. The number range means that the computer systembeing the source can calculate all the labels on the roll havingrecorded the first and last label.

The marking of the labels or packaging material with the individualcodes means that during the manufacturing of the rolls, the number ofunique codes should be recorded for each roll to be made. There is nomargin for errors in the code recording process since all errors willpropagate to the code tracking system and essentially made all theproducts marked with incorrect information.

Normally during manufacture of the strips and the resulting packagingthere is no determination of which labels will be the first and thelast. Even the lanes from a wider original strip might be winding in arandom direction for all lanes when being slit into multiple lanes.Further, another common problem is that some parts of the strip may bedamaged. Sometimes this is repared by

stitching

the strips together. For pre-printed packaging material with uniquecodes, this type of stitching of broken strips is strictly forbidden.

It is as also not generally possible to know in advance in whichdirection the rolls are being winded relative to the original printingand strip making direction. When winding the roll, the

first

and

last

label can e.g. either be 12001 (first) and 17000 (last), or equallypossible label with code 17000 (first) and 12001 (last).

After the pre-printed media have been manufactured and sent to thepackaging process, it is important that the pre-printed media has theexpected, or ordered characteristics that can be used for the specificpackaging process and batch.

Pre-printed packaging media should normally only be applied to aspecific and controlled packaging process. E.g. a roll of 2000pre-printed unfolded milk cartons should be applied only for apre-defined specific filling and sealing batch. As described previously,during manufacturing and distribution of the packaging media, there areseveral possibilities for errors that may not be discovered before it istoo late. This may result in production stops, cancellation of entireproduct batches etc.

If the manufacture of the pre-marked media is not done correctly anunknown quantity of manufactured products will have incorrectinformation associated and mapped to them in the code computer systemwhere information about the codes on the pre-printed media is stored.

One of the major problems with the present technology is that there islittle or no verification of the pre-printed media before applied in thepackaging process.

SHORT SUMMARY

Rolls and containers of groups of pre-printed media input to themanufacturing and packaging process have been described above.

It is an object of the invention to disclose a method for manufacturingsuch groups of pre-printed packaging media that solves the problemspresent in the industry that have been described above.

It is therefore also an object of the invention to disclose a methodthat allows easy verification of

verify the correctness of the manufactured packaging media applied in apackaging process,

and pertinent data concerned such as the number of units, their internalrelations, etc, have been controlled and verified before the packagingprocess starts.

Further consequently this controlled and verified data of the groupedpre-printed media can be used for correctly controlling the informationthat is or will be associated with the products.

The invention is in an embodiment a method for manufacturing a group ofpackaging media comprising the steps of;

generating a sequence of unique codes in a computer system a series ofpackaging media with said unique codes is maintained in said series ofpackaging media from said series by;

registering in said computer system marked on a first packaging media ina first end of said series an ordered number of packaging media in saidcomputer system said sub-series based on said ordered number in saidcomputer system marked on a last packaging media in a last end of saidseries in said computer system an expected number of packaging media insaid sub-series based on a difference between said first unique code andsaid last unique code in said sequence of unique codes,

accepting said sub-series of packaging media if a difference betweensaid expected number and said ordered number is within a pre-definedtolerance, or refusing said sub-series of continuous packaging media ifsaid difference between said expected number and said ordered number isoutside said pre-defined tolerance.

According to the current invention the start and end pre-printed mediaare strictly managed and controlled. Further, all the pre-printed mediabetween the start and end are controlled and managed as a coherent,recognizable and inseparable group.

This inseparable group of pre-printed media may be arranged in any way,such as e.g. a “continuous” roll of pre-printed media, or a container ofseparated pre-printed media managed as a group by the container.

In relation and within the scope of the present invention, they areconsidered and treated in the same way as a “continuous” roll since theycan be arranged or reconstructed to be a continuous “roll”. This meansthat it is both practical and possible to associate all the pre-printedmedia within this container with the same information for the total andcomplete group of marked items.

The present invention makes various uses and applications possible bycreating a managed and controlled group of codes whereby interrogatingany code within this group with the computer system as the source, willhence provide all aspects, characteristics and properties of all thecodes and their relations to each other for that group implicitlywithout the need to recognize the other codes explicitly in the group assuch. Based on this type of query and the returned data by the computersystem in response, therefore such activities and tasks as linkinginformation to all the codes or parts of the group, numerous countingbased uses and applications, check and balances, etc. will be possiblebased on the information provided by the computer system about the groupbased on that query as explained above.

According to the invention means has been provided for verification ofthe identity of the roll, determination of the winding direction of thepre-printed media, and the possibility for discovering discontinuitiesof unique codes marked on the packaging media.

FIGURE CAPTIONS

FIG. 1 is a combined block and process diagram for an embodiment of theinvention.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention will now be disclosed in more detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a combined block and process diagram, where the referencenumbers for the methodical steps have been circled. The block on theleft side of the figure is a computer system (100) handling thegeneration (100) of unique codes (200) that in turn are marked (2) onthe pre-printed media (20).

For the purpose of the invention, the format of the unique codes (200)is not essential. As long as the codes are unique and can be representedas a mark on a physical packaging media (20) they can in principle beused. When the unique codes (200) are generated they should have asequential order (150) that can later be used as an input to theverification process of the manufactured packaging media (20).

The physical marking (2) of the unique codes (200) can also be in anyformat, such as bar codes, RFID tags etc. Thus, it will be understoodthat the marking (2) step may involve coding of the generated uniquecodes (200) to a format suitable for marking on packaging media (200).

After marking (2) the resulting series (21) of packaging media (20) areusually quite long, and the series (21) have to be cut into sub-series(22) according to the number of marked packages that should be theoutput of a specific batch of a manufacturing process of where thecontinuous pre-printed media (20) is used, e.g. the first hundredcontinuous packaging media (20) of the series should be used in formedicine 1 and the next 350 continuous packaging media (20) should beused for medicine 2, etc.

According to the invention, when the sub-series (22) are created fromthe series (21), some information is registered and sent back to thecomputer system (100). This makes it possible for the computer system toverify that the resulting sub-series (22) are marked with an expectedrange of unique codes (200).

In an embodiment the invention is method for manufacturing a group ofpackaging media (20) comprising the steps of;

generating (1) a sequence (150) of unique codes (200) in a computersystem (100),

marking (2) a series (21) of packaging media (20) with said unique codes(200), wherein said sequence (150) is maintained in said series (21),

creating two or more sub-series (22) of packaging media (2) from saidseries (21) by;

registering (4) in said computer system (100), a first unique code(200a) marked on a first packaging media (20) in a first end (22a) ofsaid series (21),

entering (5) an ordered number (30) of packaging media (20) in saidcomputer system (100),

creating (6) said sub-series (22) based on said ordered number (30),

registering (7) in said computer system (100), a last unique code (200n) marked on a last packaging media (20) in a last end (22 b) of saidseries (21), opposite said first end 22(a),

calculating (8) in said computer system (100) an expected number (31) ofpackaging media (20) in said sub-series (22) based on a differencebetween said first unique code (200 a) and said last unique code (200 n)in said sequence (150) of unique codes (200),

accepting (9) said sub-series (22) of packaging media (20) if adifference (32) between said expected number (31) and said orderednumber (30) is within a pre-defined tolerance (33), or refusing (9) saidsub-series (22) of continuous packaging media (20) if said difference(32) between said expected number (31) and said ordered number (30) isoutside said pre-defined tolerance (33).

The initial steps for this embodiment, i.e. generating (1) unique codes(200) and marking (2) the packaging media (20) have already beenexplained above.

In the following it will be explained in more detail how the sub seriesare created (3).

A first unique code (200 a) is registered in the computer system (100).This can in one embodiment be done by a cutting operator that isscanning the first unique code (200 a) that appears in a first end (22a) of the sub-series (22). The first end of the sub-series (22) is alsothe first end of the remaining part of the series (21). In FIG. 1, ascanner can be seen connected to a cutter computer (300) incommunication with the computer system (100). The cutter computer may inone embodiment be part of a larger cutter machine, but this is notimportant for the invention. What is essential is that the first uniquecode (200 a) can be read and sent to the computer system (100).

Usually an order for a sub-series of packaging media exists before thesub-series is to be created. This order also comprises the number ofpackaging media (20). This number is entered (5) into the computersystem (100), and the computer system (100) is then aware of how manypre-printed packaging media the resulting sub-series (22) should have.The ordered number (30) can be input in many different ways, e.g. in thecutter computer (300) by the cutting operator, or directly from a cuttermachine responsible for the current order.

The sub-series (22) is then physically created (6) from the series (21).This usually involves counting the ordered number (30) of packagingmedia (20) from the first end (22 a) and cutting or cutting the series(21) after the correct number has been counted. Counting may be manualor automatic.

In an embodiment the series (21) is initially wound on a roll and acutting machine counts the ordered number (30), cuts the roll after thecorrect number of continuous packaging media (20) and winds theresulting sub-series (22) onto a new roll.

The last unique code (200 n) marked on a last packaging media (20) in alast end (22 b) of said sub-series (22), opposite said first end 22(a)is registered (7) in the computer system (100).

This can in one embodiment be done by the cutting operator that isscanning last first unique code (200 b) that appears in a last end (22b) of the sub-series (22). In FIG. 1, a scanner can be seen connected toa cutter computer (300) in communication with the computer system (100).The cutter computer may in one embodiment be part of a larger cuttermachine, but this is not important for the invention. What is essentialis that the last unique code (200 b) can be read and sent to thecomputer system (100).

The registering (4) of the first unique code (200 a), creating (6) thesub-series and registering (7) of the last unique code (200 b) may beperformed in any order. In one embodiment the registering (4) of thefirst unique code (200 a) is performed before cutting and reading thelast unique code (200 b). However, the last unique code may well be readbefore the final cut of the series. The invention is not dependent onthe order of the registration of information in the computer system(100), however, what is essential, is that the information becomesavailable to the computer system (100). This means for instance that thefirst code (200 a) can be recorded, and then the “de facto” orderednumber (30) can be produced by a counting method or counting device onthe slitting and winding machine, or other suitable machinery, thenentered, and then the last code (200 n) can be recorded.

Next the computer system (100) calculates (8) an expected number (31) ofpackaging media (20) in said sub-series (22) based on a differencebetween said first unique code (200 a) and said last unique code (200 n)in said sequence (150) of unique codes (200). This is the number ofpackaging media (20) the computer system (100) expects based on thenumber of unique codes (200) between the first unique code (200 a) andthe last unique code (200 n) in said sequence (150). E.g. the sequence(150) may have 1000 unique codes (200). In the example in FIG. 1 it canbe seen that the first and last unique codes (200 a, 200 n) of the firstsub-series (22) has been sent to the computer system (200). The computersystem looks into the sequence (150) and finds that there is one uniquecode (200) between the first and last unique codes (200 a, 200 n) of thesequence, and that the expected number (31) of packaging media (20) inthe sub-series (21) therefore should be 3.

Further the computer system (100) accepts (9) said sub-series ofpackaging media (20) if a difference (32) between said expected number(31) and said ordered number (30) is within a pre-defined tolerance(33), or refuses (9) said continuous packaging media (20) if saiddifference (32) between said expected number (31) and said orderednumber (30) is outside said pre-defined tolerance (33).

In the example in FIG. 1 the ordered number (30) was three, which is thesame as the expected number (31), so the difference (32) is zero, whichis within the predefined tolerance (33) of ±1. The computer system (100)can therefore verify that the sub-series is according to the order. Inan embodiment the computer system (100) sends (10) the verificationinformation to the cutter computer (300), or the operator, which thencan release the sub-series (22) of pre-printed packaging media and sendit to the intended manufacturing or packaging location.

The manufacturing process of pre-printed packaging media (20) oftenstarts from large master strands or master rolls (25) that are later cutinto thinner lanes or series (21). This is illustrated in the upperright part of FIG. 1. For the later verification process, it istherefore important that the unique codes (200) are marked on packagingmedia (20) of such a series (21) that will result in the same sequenceas 30 the sequence (150) of unique codes (200).

However, when a master roll (25) is used, the marking (2) may beperformed row by row, i.e. perpendicular to the direction of the series(21). In this case the marking (2) step may in one embodiment selectunique codes (200) from several sequences (150) generated by thecomputer system (100).

In another embodiment the computer system comprises a cut parameter thatis set to the number of lanes or series (21) that the master roll (25)is going to be split into. The cut parameter can also be set during orafter the actual marking (2). This way the computer system hasregistered that the resulting sequence (150) for a series (21) isconstituted by e.g. every fourth or every fifth unique code in thesequence of generated codes (200).

Normally during manufacture of the sub-series, there is little or nopossibility for detecting the direction of the sub-series, e.g. whetherthe first or last unique code (200 a, 200 n) ends up in the first end orthe last end. Especially when master rolls are used initially, the finaldirection of the unique codes marked on the packaging material (20) maybe unknown.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the computer system (100)therefore verifies a sub-series independent of the order of the sequence(150), as long as the absolute difference between the first and lastunique codes (200 a, 200 n) fulfils the requirements above.

The direction is thus determined by analyzing the unique codes on twoconsecutive packaging media, with respect to the direction of thesequence (150), i.e. the direction is determined relative said sequence(150) of said sub-series (22) based on said first unique code (200 a)and said next unique code (200 b).

According to an embodiment of the invention the sub-series (22) arewound to a roll before registering said last unique code (200 n).

The computer system (100) may act as a central information store for keyparameters during the manufacture of the packaging media, as well asduring packaging and later authentication. According to an embodiment ofthe invention an identifier of the sub-series (22) manufactured, isregistered in a storage location of said computer system (100), andother information related to the sub-series may also be added later.

One such parameter of the sub-series is the direction of the sub-series,when it is wound on a roll, or stored in a box, or any other suitablearrangement for distributing the sub-series. In this embodiment thedirection is registered in a storage location of said computer system(100). The storage location may be any location for storing informationfor the computer system (100), internally or externally, in e.g. amemory, database or file system.

The computer system (100) might also be configured to handle severaldifferent scanning modes, and make various calculations based on these.For instance, if the scanned packaging media has to be destructed inorder to be able to scan, as is the case with tamper evident labels,then the active range will start after the last scanned label, both atthe start as well as at the last labels.

If a scanner is used in the system, it may be any type of scanningdevice arranged for reading the unique codes (200) and transferring themto the computer system (100).

In an embodiment the first and last unique codes (200 a, 200 n) areregistered in said computer system (100) by scanning said first and lastunique codes (200 a, 200 n) with a scanner communicating with saidcomputer system (100).

The unique code may also be entered manually in a terminal communicatingwith the computer system (100).

The sub-series of packaging material, whether on rolls, in boxes or anyother format, that have been controlled and recorded by the computersystem (100), are then transported to the intended location where theyshould be used in an intended packaging process.

Although, not part of the invention itself, the advantages of theinvention can easily be understood by looking at a typical scenariowhere such sub-series are presented for the packaging process. As afirst action, a unique code (200) may be scanned and looked up in thecomputer system (100). The computer (100) can then immediately respondwith the number of packaging media in the sub-series, batch number etc.If the first packaging media is scanned, the computer system (100) canalso give information about the winding direction of the sub-series etc.

1. A method for manufacturing a group of packaging media comprising thesteps of: generating a sequence of unique codes in a computer system;marking a series of packaging media with said unique codes, wherein saidsequence is maintained in said series; and creating two or moresub-series of packaging media from said series by: registering in saidcomputer system, a first unique code marked on a first packaging mediain a first end of said series; entering an ordered number of packagingmedia in said computer system; creating said sub-series based on saidordered number; registering in said computer system, a last unique codemarked on a last packaging media in a last end of said series, oppositesaid first end; calculating in said computer system an expected numberof packaging media in said sub-series based on a difference between saidfirst unique code and said last unique code in said sequence of uniquecodes; and accepting said sub-series of packaging media if a differencebetween said expected number and said ordered number is within apredefined tolerance, or refusing said sub-series of continuouspackaging media if said difference between said expected number and saidordered number is outside said pre-defined tolerance.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of: accepting in saidcomputer system said sub-series of packaging media only if said firstunique code can be verified to have been generated by said computersystem.
 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the stepsof: registering in said computer system a next first unique code markedon a packaging media subsequent said first packaging media; andaccepting said sub-series of packaging media only if said next firstunique code is subsequent said first unique code in said sequence ofunique codes in said computer system.
 4. The method according to claim3, further comprising the step of: determining a direction relative saidsequence of said sub-series based on said first unique code and saidnext unique code.
 5. The method according to claim 1, further comprisingthe step of: winding said sub-series to a roll before registering saidlast unique code.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein furthercomprising the step of: registering a sub-series identifier in a storagelocation of said computer system.
 7. The method according to claim 1,further comprising the step of: registering said direction in a storagelocation of said computer system.
 8. The method according to claim 1,further comprising the step of: registering said first and last uniquecodes in said computer system by scanning said first and last uniquecodes with a scanner communicating with said computer system.
 9. Themethod according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: windingsaid sub-series to a roll before registering said last unique code. 10.The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of: windingsaid sub-series to a roll before registering said last unique code. 11.The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of: windingsaid sub-series to a roll before registering said last unique code. 12.The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:registering a sub-series identifier in a storage location of saidcomputer system.
 13. The method according to claim 3, further comprisingthe step of: registering a sub-series identifier in a storage locationof said computer system.
 14. The method according to claim 4, furthercomprising the step of: registering a sub-series identifier in a storagelocation of said computer system.
 15. The method according to claim 5,further comprising the step of: registering a sub-series identifier in astorage location of said computer system.
 16. The method according toclaim 2, further comprising the step of: registering said direction in astorage location of said computer system.
 17. The method according toclaim 3, further comprising the step of: registering said direction in astorage location of said computer system.
 18. The method according toclaim 4, further comprising the step of: registering said direction in astorage location of said computer system.
 19. The method according toclaim 5, further comprising the step of: registering said direction in astorage location of said computer system.
 20. The method according toclaim 6, further comprising the step of: registering said direction in astorage location of said computer system.